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HUMPHREY'S  HISTORY  OF  PROPAGATION  SOCIETY 


y^#/m. 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 


THE  COLLECTION  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINIANA 

ENDOWED  BY 

JOHN  SPRUNT  HILL 

CLASS  OF  1889 


Cp263 


(■Kx-i— <.4x  T\x. 


108  Humphrey' s  History  of  [April, 

HUMPHREY'S  HISTORY  OF  THE  PROPAGATION  SOCIETY  * 


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I 
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^ 


1852.]  The  Propagation  Society,  §c.  .  115 


CHAFfER  VI. 

Missionaries  sent  to  North  Carolina.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Blair  sent  Mis- 
sionary, undergoes  great  hardships,  returns  to  England.  Other 
Missionaries  sent  thither  ;  they  meet  with  many  difficulties,  return 
to  England.  The  Tuscararo  Indians  form  a  conspiracy  against 
the  English ;  ravage  the  colony ;  are  at  length  defeated.  Mr. 
Nevmam  sent  Missionary  ;  takes  great  pains  in  his  Mission  ;  dies. 

1.  The  Society  had  a  very  early  knowledge  of  the  destitute  condi- 
tion of  this  Province.  The  inhabitants,  in  the  year  1702,  amounted  to 
above  6000  souls,  chiefly  English,  besides  slaves ;  a  great  number  of 
the  people  were  desirous  of  having  the  Church  of  England  Worship  set- 
tled among  them  ;  there  were  some  Presbyterians,  and  fewer  Quakers 
here,  but  many  persons  careless  of  all  religion,  and  of  a  profane  mind. 
However,  some  of  the  principal  inhabitants  did,  in  a  very  serious  man- 
ner, and  with  a  true  Christian  spirit,  set  forth  their  wants  of  a  ministry 
to  the  Society. 

But  the  Society  received  the  fullest  information  from  the  Reverend 
Mr.  Blair,  who  had  been  an  itinerant  Missionary  in  that  country,  sup- 
ported with  the  bounty  of  £50  from  the  Lord  Weymouth.  He  arrived 
in  North  Carolina  in  JanuarjT,  1*703,  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his 
mission  with  great  diligence  and  pains.  The  people  were  settled  in 
such  distant  plantations  on  the  several  rivers'  sides,  that  he  was  obliged 
to  be  continually  traveling  from  place  to  place,  which  could  not  possi- 
bly be  done  without  a  guide,  both  on  account  of  the  badness  of  the 
roads,  and  difficulty  to  firicTthem  if  once  lost,  as  also  by  reason  of  the 
deserts  between  several  plantations,  some  extending  forty  miles  in 
length,  without  any  inhabitant.  Besides,  there  was  another  exceeding 
inconvenience  in  traveling  this  country  ;  it  was  watered  with  seven  great 
rivers,  all  without  any  bridges  over  them  ;  two  only  which  could  be 
passed  on  horseback ;  the  others  had  femes  over  Ihem,  in  some  places, 


116  Humphrey's  History  of  [April, 

and  the  passage  there  was  chargeable.  However,  he  exerted  himself 
for  some  time,  bought  horses  for  himself  and  a  guide,  traveled  over  all 
the  country,  and  preached  twice  every  Lord's  day,  for  above  a  year  ; 
and  sometimes  on  the  week  days,  when  the  people  could  bring  their 
children  for  baptism.  He  baptized  above  one  hundred  during  his  con- 
tinuance here.  He  was  very  useful  to  revive  a  sense  of  religion  among 
them  ;  and  the  people,  in  pursuance  of  an  act  of  Assembly  there,  be- 
gan to  build  three  small  churches.  But  he  found  the  labor  of  contin- 
ual traveling  in  excessive  heats  in  summer,  and  extreme  colds  in  winter, 
beyond  his  strength  of  body  and  mind.  He  would  have  resided  on 
one  precinct  of  the  country,  and  officiated  to  all  who  could  come  to 
him  ;  but  the  people  were  dissatisfied  with  this,  telling  him,  Lord  Wey- 
mouth's charity  was  intended  for  the  good  of  the  whole  country.  An 
Act  of  Assembly  had  been  passed  a  little  before,  allowing*  £30  a  year, 
of  that  country  money,  making  about  £10  sterling  for  a  Minister  in 
each  division  ;  but  that  Act  was  not  then  confirmed  by  the  Proprieta- 
ries, so  that  he  had  no  allowance  from  the  inhabitants.  These  hardships 
rendered  the  mission  so  difficult,  that  some  time  after,  he  was  forced  to 
return  toJEngland,  quite  sunk  with  poverty  and  sickness. 

2.  This  unprovided  condition  of  the  people,  engaged  the  Society  to 
assist  them.  In  1*707,  they  sent  over  the  Rev.  Mr.  Adams  and  Mr. 
Gordon,  itinerant  Missionaries,  with  a  better  support  than  Mr.  Blair 
had.  They  were  both  very  sensible  ihey  should  meet  with  many  dis- 
couragements in  their  mission  ;  however,  they  entered  on  their  office 
with  much  resolution.  Upon  their  first  arrival,  they  entertained  hopes 
of  good  success  in  their  labors,  from  the  encouragement  wdiich  they 
received  from  some  worthy  persons  in  the  administration  of  the  gov- 
ernment at  that  time.  But  soon  after  their  arrival,  many  ignorant  and 
irreligious  persons  in  the  Colony,  raised  such  factions  and  animosities, 
and  above  all,  made  such  a  blasphemous  ridicule  of  the  most  sacred 
ordinances  of  the  Gospel,  in  a  manner  too  profane  to  be  mentioned,  as 
occasioned  long  and  public  distractions,  and  mightily  retarded  the  pro- 
gress of  the  Gospel.  Mr.  Adams  and  Mr.  Gordon  persevered,  notwith- 
standing, in  their  missions.  The  wdiole  Province  was  divided  into  four 
large  precincts,  Chowan,  Paquiman,  Pasquetanck,  and  Carotuck,  be- 
sides Bath  county,  or  Pamlico  Division. 

Mr.  Gordon  had  the  care  of  Chowan  and  Paquiman.  Chowan  is  the 
westermost,  the  largest  and  thinnest  settled ;  the  people  had  built  a 
Church  sometime  before  his  coming  there,  but  it  was  small,  and  sorrily 
put  together,  and  therefore  they  then  had  intentions  to  build  another. 
There  were  very  few  Quakers  or  dissenters  in  this  Parish.  The  people 
indeed  were  ignorant,  few  that  could  read,  and  fewer  write,  even  of  the 
better  sort ;  yet  the  body  of  them  were  very  serious  and  well-inclined, 
ready  to  embrace,  both  in  public  and  in  private,  all  opportunities  of  be- 
ing instructed.  Mr.  Gordon  spent  most  of  his  labors  in  this  precinct, 
it  is  very  large,  and  divided  by  the  great  Sound  and  several  rivers, 
which  made  his  cure  very  laborious ;  however,  he  visited  all  parts  of  it, 
and  baptised  above  one   hundred  children.     Mr.  Gordon  had  also  the 


1852.]  The  Propagation  Society,  fyc.  117 

next  precinct,  Paquiman,  under  his  care.  There  was  a  little  compact 
church  built  here,  with  more  care  and  expense,  and  better  contrived 
than  that  iu  Chowan.  The  Quakers  here  were  very  numerous.  This 
precinct  is  not  so  large  as  the  other,  but  the  roads  are  worse.  The 
people  were  very  ignorant,  and  loose  in  their  lives,  unconcerned  as  to 
religion,  through  their  want  of  Ministers  and  good  books. 

Mr.  Gordon  was  in  hopes  the  feuds  and  animosities  among  the  peo- 
ple, would  have  abated  in  a  little  time,  but  on  the  contrary,  they  grew 
higher,  and  the  public  distractions  increased.  He  found  himself  there- 
fore necessitated  to  return  to  England  ;  which  he  did,  bringing  with  him 
letters  to  the  Lord  Bishop  of  London,  and  to  the  Society,  from  the 
two"  precincts  which  he  attended )  certifying  that  he  had  discharged 
his  mission  with  great  fidelity  among  them,  and  indefatigably  employed 
his  time  in  promoting  the  interest  of  religion  in  those  parts.  * 

Mr.  Adams  had  the  care  of  Pascotanck  and  Carotuck  precincts. 
Pascotanck  precinct  then  had  no  Church  built  in  it.  The  roads  here 
are  the  worst,  but  the  country  is  "closer  settled,  and  better  peopled  than 
the  other  precincts.  In  their  way  of  living,  these  people  have  much 
the  advantage  of  the  rest,  being  more  industrious  and  careful.  But 
they  were  above  all,  to  be  commended  for  their  order,  seriousness  and 
decency,  in  attending  EHvine  Worship. 

Carotuck  is  the  eastermost  precinct,  including  the  Sand  Banks,  and 
part  of  the  south  part  of  the  Sound  ;  a  very  incommodious  place  for 
damp  colds  in  winter,  and  muschatoesin  summer  ;  they  had  no  Church 
built  here.  Mr.  Adams  behaved  himself  with  unwearied  application  ; 
the  extent  of  his  mission  was  in  some  places  above  seventy  miles. 
There  were  839  souls  in  the  precinct  of  Carotuck;  he  preached  often, 
baptised  here  numbers  of  children,  and  administered  the  Sacrament. 
But  the  principal  branch  of  his  cure  was  the  precinct  of  Pascotanck, 
where  he  chiefly  resided.  It  contained  above  1300  souls,  900  of  which 
professed  themselves  members  of  the  Church  of  England.  He  bap- 
tised in  the  Parishes  of  Pascotanck  and  Carotuck,  above  214  children, 
besides  grown' persons,  preached  constantly,  and  administered  the  Sac- 
rament in  Pascotanck  and  in  Carotuck. 

When  Mr.  Gordon  returned  to  England,  Mr.  Adams  was  much  de- 
jected, but  resolved  to  make  a  farther  effort.  He  continued  very  dili- 
gent in  the  discharge  of  his  duty.  However,  the  public  distractions 
could  not  be  composed  through  the  perverseness  of  some  Quakers. 
During  all  these  broils,  Mr.  Adams  behaved  himself  with  so  much 
moderation  and  diligence,  as  gained  the  favor  and  esteem  of  the  most 
sober  people,  and  preserved  his  character  unblemished,  even  by  his  en- 
emies. The  parties  here  grew  of  more  imbittered  spirits,  and  Mr.  Ad- 
ams was  quite  wearied  out  with  the  hardships  he  met  with  :  he  in- 
tended to  return  to  England  in  1710,  upon  which  the  Vestry  of  Caro- 
tuck, and  Col.  Glover,  wrote  thus  to  the  Society  : 

"  Mr.  Adams,  during  his  abode  among  us,  hath  behaved  himself  in 
all  respects,  worthy  the  character  of  a  Minister,  exemplary  in  his  life, 
and  blameless  in  his  conversation ;  and  now  being  bound  for  England, 


118  Humphrey's  History  of  [April, 

we  with  sorrowful  hearts,  and  true  love  and  affection,  take  our  leave  of 
him.  We  shall  ever  bless  that  Providence  that  placed  him  among  us, 
and  should  be  very  unjust  to  his  character,  if  we  did  not  give  him  the 
testimony  of  a  pious  and  painful  pastor,  whose  sweetness  of  temper, 
diligence  in  his  calling,  and  soundness  of  doctrine,  hath  so  much  con- 
duced to  promote  the  great  end  of  his  mission,  that  we  hope  the  good 
seed  God  hath  enabled  him  to  sow,  will  bear  fruit  upwards."  The 
Vestry  of  Pascotanck  write  to  the  same  effect ;  and  Colonel  Glover, 
President  of  the  Council  there,  transmitted  these  letters  to  the  Society, 
and  wrote  thus  with  them  :  "The  inclosed  papers  being  put  into  my 
hand,  I  held  myself  bound  to  present  them  to  your  Board,  and  to  join 
with  the  subscribers  in  the  character  they  justly  give  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
James  Adams,  and  to  which  I  am  sure  all  persons,  who  have  any  re- 
spect to  religion,  do  heartily  concur.  As  for  the  difficulties  he  met 
with,  he  hath  waded  through  them,  under  the  vigilant  eyes  of  the  ma- 
licious enemy,  without  committing  anything  unbecoming  a  Minister  of 
Christ."  But  before  Mr.  Adams  embarked  for  England,  he  fell  sick, 
and  died  in  Carolina. 

3.  The  Society  resolved  again  to  assist  this  people  ;  and  appointed 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Urmstone  and  Mr.  Rainsford  Missionaries  there,  about  the 
year  17.1.1.  Mr.  Urmstone  took  care  of  the  North  Shore,  at  the  lower 
end  of  Chowan,  with  all  Pascotanck ;  and  Mr.  Rainsford  of  the  West 
Shore.  But  they  had  not  been  long  in  the  country,  before  the  civil 
feuds  among  that  unhappy  people  were  followed  with  an  Indian  war, 
which  threatened  the  total  ruin  of  the  Colony  ;  and  had  it  not  been 
for  a  very  timely  and  powerful  assistance  from  their  neighbors,  the  South 
Carolinians,  it  might  have  been  effected.  The  Corees  and  Tuskararo 
Indians  near  Cape  Fear,  made  a  terrible  insurrection,  fell  upon  the  in- 
habitants of  Renoque,  killed  137  of  them  ;  most  of  the  Palatines,  with 
a  Swiss  Baron,  perished  in  the  massacre.  The  Indians  carried  their 
plot  on  with  great  cunning  and  secrecy,  and  put  it  thus  in  execution, 
in  a  few  hours  in  many  places.  The  Indians  did  not  meet  in  one 
body  ;  but  in  small  parties  of  five  or  six  men,  waited  as  friends  on  those 
whom  they  purposed  to  destroy  ;  and  killed  them  with  such  weapons 
as  they  found  in  their  houses,  or  near  hand.  The  South  Carolinians  in 
this  distress  of  theirs,  advanced  £4000  and  sent  Colonel  Barnwell  with 
600  whites  and  600  Indians  to  their  assistance ;  after  a  difficult  march 
he  met  the  Indians,  killed  above  three  hundred,  took  one  hundred  pris- 
oners, surrounded  the  rest,  being  about  six  hundred  in  a  Fort,  and  forced 
them  to  sue  for  peace  ;  which  he  granted,  as  not  having  provisions  for 
his  own  men,  if  the  Indians  should  have  held  out ;  the  other  straggling 
parties  of  the  Indians  retreated  into  the  territories  of  Fort  Augustino, 
and  lay  there  secure,  under  the  Spaniards'  protection. 

Mr.  Urmgtone,  no  doubt,  could  not  avoid  bearing  a  share  in  this  gen- 
eral calamity  ;  however,  he  continued  some  years  an  itinerant  Mission- 
ary. He  traveled  as  soon  as  the  heat  ef  the  summer  was  over,  through 
the  whole  government  one  hundred  miles  southward,  beyond  Neuze 
River,  sixty  miles  westward  towards  Virginia,  and  as  far  northeast.     He 


1852.]  The  Propagation  Society,  fyc.  119 

baptized  in  one  half  year  two  hundred  and  seventy-nine,  twelve  whereof 
were  grown  persons  ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  neglect  of  the  parents, 
and  want  of  convenient  passage  both  by  land  and  water,  a  great  many 
more  might  have  been  baptized.  Mr.  Rainsford  also  continued  some 
time  preaching  on  the  West  Shore,  and  by  his  labors  kept  alive,  among 
a  wild  and  scattered  people,  some  sense  of  religion ;  but  at  length  was 
quite  fatigued  with  the  hardships  of  the  mission,  and  quitted  it.  Mr. 
Urmstone  continued  longer,  but  was  in  some  years  worn  out  with  the 
many  difficulties  and  distresses  he  met  with,  and  returned  to  Eng- 
land. 

Colonel  Eden,  then  Governor  of  the  country,  wrote  a  very  pressing 
letter  to  the  Society  in  behalf  of  the  people.  Some  time  after,  the  So- 
ciety appointed  the  Rev.  Mr.  Newnam  Missionary  ;  he  arrived  in  North 
Carolina  in  J.722,  and  transmitted  to  the  Society  an  account  of  his  la- 
bors and  success  in  his  mission.     The  summary  of  which  is  as  follows  : 

"  After  a  long  and  fatiguing  voyage  of  above  four  months,  from  De- 
cember the  1st  to  April  the  10th,  myself  and  little  family  arrived  at 
Carolina.  The  late  Governor  Eden  being  dead,  I  waited  upon  the 
President,  a  worthy  gentleman,  delivered  him  my  credentials,  with 
which  he  declared  himself  satisfied,  and  received  me  with  great  kind- 
ness and  respect.  I  hope  I  shall  do  a  great  deal  of  good.  The  Vestry 
have  laid  out  my  journeys  wdiere  I  am  to  officiate.  The  first  Sunday  I 
go  by  water,  and  some  few  miles  by  land,  and  preach  at  Esquire  Duck- 
ingfield's  House,  (which  is  large  enough  to  hold  a  good  congregation,) 
till  such  time  as  they  build  a  Church,  which  is  hereafter  to  be  called 
Society  Church  ;  and  in  order  to  do  it,  they  are  now  making  a  collec- 
tion through  the  whole  Parish.  The  second  Sunday  I  take  a  journey 
up  to  a  place  called  Maharim,  about  forty  miles  off,  where  there  are 
abundance  of  inhabitants,  who  are  also  making  a  collection  to  build  a 
Church  forthwith.  The  third  Sunday  I  perform  Divine  Service  at 
Esquire  Duckingfield's.  The  fourth  Sunday  I  go  up  to  a  place  called 
Wicacon,  about  thirty  miles'  journey.  The  fifth  Sunday  I  cross  the 
Sound  to  go  to  Eden  town,  where  the  Vestry  have  also  proposed  to 
build  a  Church  very  soon.  The  sixth  Sunday  I  go  up  to  a  Chapel  on 
the  South  Shore,  about  twelve  miles  by  water ;  and  the  seventh  Sunday 
begin  the  same  course  again.  But  once  every  quarter  I  go  up  to  a 
place  called  Renoque,  eighty  miles'  journey ;  and  the  five  last  Sundays 
of  the  year,  the  Vestry  allow  I  may  go  my  rounds,  and  visit  the  re- 
mote parts  of  the  country,  where  some  inhabitants  live,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  off;  people  who  will  scarce  ever  have  the  opportunity 
of  hearing  me,  or  of  having  their  children  baptized,  unless  I  go  among 
them.  The  country  is  in  general  very  well  pleased  with  my  coming 
among  them,  but  the  people  are  for  the  most  part  poor  and  very  ignor- 
ant. I  have  baptized  one  hundred  and  twenty  boys  and  ninety-one 
girls,  five  persons  above  twenty  years  of  age,  and  two  married  women, 
this  last  year." 

Upon  bare  reading  of  this  letter,  the  reader  will  immediately  reflect, 
that  he  must  take  indefatigable  pains  in  performing  so  much  difficult 


120  Humphrey's  History  of  [April, 

duty.  However,  he  persevered  with  great  resolution.  Some  time  after- 
wards other  accounts  came  to  the  Society,  that  since  his  last  letter,  he 
had  preached  constantly,  had  baptized  two  hundred  and  sixty-nine 
children,  one  woman,  and  three  men,  who  gave  a  very  good  account  of 
their  faith  ;  and  two  negroes,  who  could  say  the  Creed,  Lord's  Prayer, 
and  Ten  Commandments,  and  had  good  sureties  for  their  farther  infor- 
mation ;  and  that  he  designed  shortly  to  go  to  Bath  county,  where  he 
was  greatly  wanted,  being  informed  there  were  at  least  three  hun- 
dred children,  whose  parents  desired  his  coming  among  them,  to  have 
them  baptized. 

But  having  contracted  frequent  and  severe  illnesses  by  constant  trav- 
eling, he  died  in  the  year  1V23,  very  much  to  the  loss  of  all  this  people. 

5.  In  the  year  1725,  Sir  Richard  Everet,  going  then  over  Governor, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Blaeknal  applied  to  be  sent  Missionary,  and  was  employed 
by  the  Society,  but  they  have  had  no  account  of  his  progress,  and  it  is 
believed  he  hath  left  that  country  ;  "scTthat  this  whole  people,  being  now 
above  ten  thousand  souls,  are  without  any  Minister.  What  Gov.  Eden 
remarked  to  the  Society  in  favor  of  this  colony,  deserves  to  be  taken  notice 
of  here  :  "Though  the  state  of  this  Government  hath  been  for  many  years 
very  unsettled,  chiefly  so  by  reason  of  intestine  feuds ;  yet  the  people 
have  declared  themselves  sincere  members  of  the  Church  of  England, 
by  the  Act  of  Assembly  passed  in  1715,  for  establishing  the  Church, 
and  appointing  select  vestries ;  the  preamble  to  which  is  as  follows :" 
"  This  Province  of  North  Carolina,  being  a  member  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Great  Britain ;  and  the  Church  of  England  being  appointed  by  the 
Charter  from  the  Crown,  to  be  the  only  established  Church,  to  have 
public  encouragement  in  it :  We  therefore  to  express  our  gratitude  to  the 
Right  Honorable  the  Society  for  Promoting  the  Christian  Religion  in 
Foreign  Parts,  and  our  zeal  for  promoting  our  holy  religion  by 
making  such  provision  for  building  Churches  and  Chapels,  and  main- 
taining of  the  Clergy,  as  circumstances  of  this  Government  will  admit, 
&c.  And  by  this  Act,  they  divide  the  whole  country  into  nine  parishes, 
name  vestries,  and  settle  salaries  for  the  Ministers  of  each  parish,  not 
exceeding  £50,  and  provided  the  whole  parish  charges  do  not  exceed 
five  shillings  per  pole,  on  all  taxable  persons." 

This  speaks  at  least  the  good  disposition  of  the  people,  though  the 
£50  settled  by  the  Act,  would  amount  to  a  very  small  sum  in  sterling 
money.  There  are  not  above  one  or  two  Churches  yet  built  in  this 
Government ;  however,  the  Society  have  at  several  times  by  their  Mis- 
sionaries dispersed  here  above  three  hundred  volumes  of  bound  books, 
besides  about  £100  worth  of  small  Tracts  of  devotion  and  instruction. 


o 

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/as 


00034013237 

FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


m 


Form  No.  A-368,  Rev.  8/95 


V3JR  ■  4k 


